


071. Broken

by sendricamp



Category: Real Person Fiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-15
Updated: 2014-01-15
Packaged: 2018-01-08 19:24:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1136461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sendricamp/pseuds/sendricamp





	071. Broken

In hindsight, Hayley should have known to tell Chad. Just because she didn't see her ex-stepfather as a threat didn't mean the man wasn't one. The letters and e-mails were easy enough to hide, but the phone calls were more of a challenge. Chad had noticed how she began taking her phone into the other room to answer calls. After almost a month of it, she was sure that he suspected she was seeing someone on the side. She could see the doubt in his eyes when she said she was gonna take a pass on joining him in the studio. And now, laying on her back with tears in her eyes and her own blood staining the carpet, she regretted everything. Her head was throbbing and she wasn't sure just how severe some of her injuries were but she knew she had lost a lot of blood.

Using as much of her energy as she could, she pulled the blanket from the couch and over her naked body.  
Taking a deep breath, she found where her phone had been kicked and she dialed Chad's number, hoping he would pick up before the blackness took over. Hearing it connect, she sobbing. "Chad..." her voice trailed off, the effort it took burning her throat. Her voice was weak, and the tears didn't help. "Help..." She could hear the panic in his voice as he begged for her to keep talking, but the pain was damn near unbearable, and she could feel herelf losing the battle to stay awake. "I love you," she managed, just before blackness swirled in her mind.

  
-

  
The first image that cuts through the haze is bright lights, then beeping machines and Chad's familiar hand holding hers gently. "Chad?" she croaked, her voice barely above a whisper. Almost instantly, he was in her line of sight, and even in her painkiller haze, she could see the relief etched into his features. "Hi."

  
"Hey beautiful," he replied, and if the pain was anything to go by, she knew she was less than beautiful. "It's so good to hear your voice."

  
"Where am I?"

  
"Hospital. There are a couple cops outside who wanna hear what happened, okay? Do you remember what happened?" he asked, his voice low as he leaned in and gently kissed her forehead.

  
Hayley nodded. "And I know who did it," she mebtioned. She doesn't miss the look of shock on his face as he nods once before walking to the door and sticking his head out. A few moments later two women enter the room and stand at the foot of her bed. She waited for Chad to return to her side, holding his hand tightly as she watched the cops.

  
"You just need to tell us everything that happened," one of them said, Hayley missing what she had said her name was. Taking a deep breath, she nodded.

  
"His name is Douglas Samuels and he lives in Meridan, Mississippi. I don't know where he currently is, though," she started.

  
"How do you know him?"

  
"He married my momma when I was eight, and from the ages of ten to twelve, he physically, emotionally and sexually abused me." Her voice was even as she told them, her hand holding tighter to Chad's. "He had been calling me and e-mailing me for over a month, but I really didn't have any fear because I hadn't seen him since I was twelve."

  
"What happened last night?"

  
She closed her eyes, inhaling slowly. "Usually, I go hang out in the studio with Chad, but I wasn't feeling too well so I decided to stay home. I was in the living room watching a movie and there was a knock on the door. I didn't think anything of it as I answered," she said, her voice cracking. "I recognized him right away. I knew I would never forget his face."

  
"Did you let him in?"

  
"Not willingly," she said. "I know Chad keeps a gun in the bedroom and I tried to take off, but he grabbed my arm and forced his way in. He started spewing off line after line of how my momma should have never left him. She just didn't understand the special kind of love we shared. I felt so sick to my stomach." Her eyes cut to Chad, seeing anger and fear in his eyes, and she knew he was kicking himself for not coming home right after the studio.

  
"Did you try fighting back?"

  
Hayley nodded. "I tried kicking and punching and biting and screaming and it was like, for each move of defense I tried, he would grip tighter and hit harder. He threw me to the floor and climbed on top of me, pinning me down. He kept making more comments, too."

  
"What were they?"

  
Hayley shook her head. "They weren't important," she said. After a stern glare from one of the officers, she sighed. "He started ripping at my clothes and saying things like "I'm gonna see how much that big oaf you're fucking has taught you about being a woman" and he raped me. Twice. He kept hitting me and choking me until I was too weak to fight back and then he left me there. I don't know how long I was laying when I managed to call Chad. And then I woke up here," she finished.

She rested her head against the pillows and closed her eyes, hearing the women promising Chad they would call as soon as they had anything new. Once the door closed, she felt Chad's hand holding hers again. "They're gone," he whispered.

Hayley opened her eyes, watching him closely. "How bad so I look?" she asked, almost tempted to ask for a mirror.

"You've definitely seen some better days," he said, smiling softly as he kissed her knuckles. "Some major bruising around your throat, face and sides. Cuts everywhere. Cracked ribs. Broken wrist."

"I must look like hell," she whispered, frowning. "I should have gone to the studio with you."

Chad shook his head. "We were only there for a bit. I was going to call you and have you meet us at Hard Rock for dinner. I should have just come home. I am supposed to protect you, and I failed at that."

"Please don't try and make this seem like your fault. I didn't even let you know there was anything going on. But I'm okay. And I'm gonna get through this. I love you," she murmured, smiling slightly as he leaned in to kiss her.

"You are one of the strongest people I know," he said, keeping their foreheads pressed together. "I am in awe of the woman you've become. This whole thing does not make me love you any less. You are still my Hayley, just a little cracked. But we are gonna get the glue and get you put back together. I promise." He kissed her again. I love you. To infinity and beyond, my love."

"I love you, too, Chadball," she replied, linking her fingers with his. "Chad, what if they can't find him?" she asked, a wave of fear hitting her.

Chad leaned down and kissed her. "If they don't get him, I promise I will keep you safe from him. We will go to my moms before Parahoy. I know we can just hide from the world. Let's just go to Kentucky anyways! The second you are free from here we can load up the car and road trip it. We can be alone. Fall more in love. Get lost in each other in hotel rooms across the country."

She watched how excited the idea made him, and she couldn't help but grin. "You are so cute," she said, unable to deny that the idea of a road trip seemed amazing. "We have three weeks before Parahoy. Let's do it. The second they let me out. We take what we need. We turn our phones off. We don't touch the internet. We drop off the face of the earth. We can be alone together."


End file.
